This article was written by Simon Picazo at Sweetwater.  Over the next few months, we’lre publishing an entire series of articles in the Lounge from Sweetwater along with contests and prizes. Keep your eyes peeled and check back often!

I was 17 years old, lost on my mountain bike in the middle of the countryside of Haiti and it was getting dark. A little old lady walked by me on the path as I was struggling to find my way and I asked her how to get to the town where I lived, the answer she gave me still plagues me to this day: “Oh you can’t get there from here!”

So how do you get to where you want to go with your music from where you are right now? Here are 10 key things to keep in mind.

(more…)

This Sonicbids Lounge article was written by Hits Magazine, a leading trade magazine with a management division.

In this day and age, artists have so many platforms to be able to get their music out there. This is both the good news and the bad news. Good news is that it enables artists to be able to do a lot of the legwork that labels wont do anymore, on their own. The bad news is, with so many platforms, picking and choosing the right ones can be difficult. The most important thing for an artist is to know their audience and the demographic they are trying to reach.  Be realistic. (more…)

The Calendar is the most popular section of the EPK and the most underused – how can both be true?

Most artists are extremely diligent about keeping their EPK calendars current with the latest updates. Artists with the most verifiable bookings are listed in the Sonicbids charts. But we still consider it underutilized because the importance of adding upcoming performance dates to the EPK is still overlooked by some. In truth, a complete and up-to-date calendar is one of the most useful things in your EPK. Here’s why: (more…)

Tom Volpicelli, President of The Mastering House, took some time to answer your top questions regarding Mastering.  If you have additional questions for Tom, just leave a comment.

What is Mastering? What’s the difference between mixing and mastering? (For the laymen)

For some, mastering is a misunderstood art which conjures images of mad scientists twiddling with knobs or the Wizard of Oz. Others believe mastering simply makes a CD as loud as possible. Mastering, in fact, is neither of these things; it is generally considered the stage of audio production where the final mixes are enhanced and prepared for the formats that will be used during replication and distribution. In the case of CD, the final master is not really created until the replication process. Some may refer to this stage as pre-mastering rather than mastering, but we’ve come to use the term interchangeably.

(more…)

Boston’s Mike Davidson Recording presents the “MDR Checklist: 5 Surefire Ways To Improve Your Recordings.” These are money saving strategies that will increase efficiency while in the studio, intended for both the novice and seasoned musician. (more…)

This article was written by Mitch Gallagher, the former Editor in Chief of EQ magazine and current editorial Director for Sweetwater.  Over the next few months, we’ll be publishing an entire series of articles in the Lounge from Sweetwater along with contests and prizes. Keep your eyes peeled and check back often!

“State of the art.” A lofty term — and one that gets thrown around a lot these days. It seems as if every manufacturer says that their products are “state of the art,” every recording studio is “state of the art,” and many venues claim to have “state of the art” sound systems. But just what does “state of the art” mean in the real world?

(more…)

This article was written by Mark Guglielmo, a successful musician who found great success in licensing opportunities for his music.  Now as CEO of Manifest Media, he’s helping other musicians to do the same.

“Like millions before me, I dreamt of making music for a living.  I formed a band, moved to Los Angeles, built a following, got a record deal, and released half a dozen independent and major label albums.  Still, after 15 years in the game, I had no real capital to show for it.  Instead, I waited tables and substituted in schools to pay the bills, which often left me too exhausted or depressed to make music much less establish a solid financial base.  I knew there was a better way. (more…)